Brown graduate students protest outside university president's home

President Christina Paxson said she planned to create a forum, probably on Tuesday, to bring the graduate students together with academic deans and hash out the dispute.

Comment

By
Thomas J. Morgan
Posted Apr. 23, 2014 @ 6:55 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- About 80 Brown University graduate students gathered Wednesday outside the residence of university President Christina Paxson to protest what they said was a cut in financial support beyond five years of study for students seeking a doctoral degree.

Standing on the windswept sidewalk on Power Street at Brown Street, they held signs proclaiming “We can’t live on books alone,” “No Brown prof got their PhD in 5 years,” and “250 years but no 6th year?” The latter was a reference to the university’s 250th anniversary, being observed this year.

Graduate student John Mulligan told the crowd that “a significant number of doctoral students who applied for sixth year funding were denied support from the Graduate School.”

Mulligan went on, “We see this most recent funding decision as an active attempt by the Graduate School to phase out funding beyond the fifth year.” He said some students were kept “waiting for weeks in limbo, unsure if they’d be able to finish the program to which they’ve dedicated five years of hard work.”

He scored the “unacceptable lack of transparency around the decision-making and announcement process.” He said some foreign students who held education visas found themselves forced to depart the country.

Paxson emerged from the residence at one point to address the students.

She said she would have liked to invite them inside to join her and several other students who were having dinner, but there was not enough room.

Paxson said she planned to create a forum, probably on Tuesday, to bring the graduate students together with academic deans and hash out the dispute.

“We’ll get the right people in that room,” she said.

Mulligan said it takes an average of at least six years to complete doctoral degree work, particularly if academic travel, fieldwork and multiple language study are involved.